Hormone Testing

Hormone testing is helpful for finding out if hormone levels are optimal for health. Rocky Mountain Analytical tests hormones in saliva, urine and hair.

Saliva Hormones

Hormones have been measured in saliva for over thirty years, and research continues to accumulate attesting to its reliability and clincial relevance. Despite a wealth of supporting evidence, many are still critical of saliva hormone testing. These criticisms have arisen largely from misuse of the test results -specifically, reading too much into what the numbers mean. Saliva hormone testing is very useful for finding underlying hormone excesses and deficiencies, but needs to be interpreted with care when hormones are being supplemented.

Urine Steroid Hormones

Urine steroid hormone analysis, like saliva hormone analysis, is noninvasive and convenient to do at home. Producing a saliva sample is generally easy for most people, but conditions like dry mouth and some autoimmune diseases can make saliva collection difficult. Urine collection is therefore easier for some, although collecting urine for a full 24 hours may be inconvenient.

Urine steroid hormone analysis differs from saliva hormone testing in that it measures conjugated hormones. Conjugated hormones are hormones that the body modifies by adding a chemical - usually glucuronide or sulphate molecules - to facilitate their elimination (i.e. in urine or stool). The amount of hormone in urine essentially tells us what the body is getting rid of, not necessarily what is available for use.

Hair Cortisol

Hair collection is noninvasive and convenient to do at home. Hair cortisol is a good option for anyone who has difficulty collecting saliva and/or finds a 24-hour urine collection inconvenient.

Click on the links below to see what types of hormone tests are available: